Toy track crossover



Feb. 27, 1951 LARRABEE 2,543,460

TOY TRACK CROSSOVER Filed April 10, 1950 Mars/vcz/ H lal'rabee,

INVENTOR BY %74ufza r dn.

ATTORNEYS iatented Feb. 27, i951 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a track element for use with a toy railway construction outfit of the type described in complete detail in my Patent No. 2,254,153, dated August 26, 1941, and more especially relates to an improvement in a toy track crossover for use with the track described in said patent. The principle of the invention is applicable, however, to other types of toy track, as will appear obvious from the description below and the appended claims,

Many of the sets made by me in accordance with the patented invention include a sufiicient supply of track sections so that a child may construct continuous track layouts of various configurations. It ha been my observation, however, that especially small children often have difiiculty in arranging such layouts so that the tongue-and-groove connections will properly mesh with those of adjacent track sections.

Particularly when a one-piece crossover, such as shown in Figure 8 of my Patent 2,254,153, is employed it must be connected so that adjacent tracks with tongues or grooves are disposed on the proper four sides of the crossover. If the child has constructed the layout leaving the crossover until-the last, the final connections to the crossover are often wrong.

The general object of this invention is to provide an adjustable crossover so that the respective tongue-and-groove connections thereof may be shifted to different sides of the crossover for proper connection to adjacent track pieces without the necessity of rearranging such track pieces. Such a crossover also permits quicker construction of track layouts and rapid change from one layout to another.

In meeting this object, I have provided a crossover of simple and cheap construction which is formed of two pieces of material (wood, plastic, etc.), one piece of which overlies the other in two alternative positions. No fasteners or mechanical parts are required, and any child can shift the crossover to the desired position.

More particularly in my invention I provide a two-piece crossover with one piece thereof overlying and meshing with the lower piece by virtue of complementary recessed portions in the pieces. The upper piece and lower piece both carry spur and socket track-connecting means at their opposite ends. The upper track section carries the crossing rail elements, in the case illustrated these being two pairs of parallel crossing-track grooves. The lower track section carries grooves so positioned that the tracks will mesh with those of the upper section in two alternate positions. By this arrangement it will be seen that lengths of track may first be connected to both ends of the lower piece and later the upper piece may be reversed or shifted to take care of the connection requirements for the other lengths of track to be connected thereto.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved toy track crossover;

Figure 2 is a section taken on lines 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on lines 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan view showing r the crossover arranged in a track pattern with other track pieces; and

I Figure 5 is a perspective view of the crossover with the two sections thereof in separated condition.

In Figures 1-3 and 5 it will be seen that the crossover is formed of two sections 5 and 1, each having a transverse portion, or recessed area, cut from its midsection to a depth of substantially half the thickness of the piece and of a width equal to the piece it is to mesh with. The upper section 6 carries this recessed area on its underside as indicated at 8, Figure 5, and lower piece I carries this cut portion on its upper face as indicated at 9, Figure 5. In Figures l-3 the numerals 10 indicate the separation points between sections 6 and 1.

From Figures 2 and 3 it will be seen that the transverse cut-away portions 8 and 9 are located equidistant between the respective ends of pieces 6 and 1.

The upper section 6 carries the parallel crossing track grooves II and lower section "I carries the track grooves I 2. Each section i equipped with a spur or tongue 13 and slot or socket H1 at opposite ends. Tongues l3 are laterally drilled and fitted with the protruding elastic slugs or billets I5 which are intended for frictional engagement with chambers provided in the side Walls of slots of adjacent track pieces (not shown) which would correspond to the chambers l6 shown in slots l4. Chambers 16 likewise are intended to receive, and frictionally engage, billets located on the tongues of adjacent track pieces (not shown) of the type of billets 15 of tongues 13.

This precise spur-socket joining means is more fully described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 18,111, filed March 31, 1948 (now Patent No. 2,534,458, issued Dec. 19, 1950).

For the purpose of the present invention, how

ever, it is not essential that this precise joining means be used, so long as a male-female or a complementary type of connection is employed. A dovetail connection could be used for example, or the linkage shown in my Patent 2,254,153. In toys of this construction the male-female joint type is advantageous for its cheapness and simplicity, and hence is frequently used.

Viewing Figure 5, the operation of the invention can be readily understood. Section B of the crossover can obviously be lifted and reversed in its meshing position overlying section I, so that tongue l3 would be at the bottom instead of at the top and slot 14 at the top instead of at the bottom. It is thus clear that adjacent track sections may first be connected to the lower crossover section and later that section 6 can be turned around or reversed, if necessary, for proper engagement with other track sections intended for connection with it. It is also obvious that sections 5 and 7 may each separately be incorporated in strings of connected track pieces, and the crossover may then be formed merely by meshing sections 6 and 1 together.

In Figure 4 I show a track layout typical of my toy sets in which a crossover 2G is diagrammatically illustrated. The other track pieces are straight pieces 2|, curved pieces 22 and switches 23. In a layout of this kind the adjustable crossover of the invention is especially useful.

What I claim is:

l. A toy track crossover comprising, a base track section having male and female connecting means at its opposite ends for connection to adjacent sections of track to be connected to said section; and track elements transversely interrupted by a recess, and an upper track section likewise having male and female connecting means at its opposite ends and having other track elements; said upper track section being shaped to fit in said recess in two alternative positions with the track elements thereof in either position forming a crossover in conjunction with the track elements of said base section.

2. A toy track crossover comprising, a base track section having male and female connecting means at its opposite ends for connection to adjacent sections of track to be connected to said section; an upper central recessed area and track elements disposed at two opposite sides of said area, and an upper track section likewise carrying male and female connecting means at its opposite ends and having crossing track elements, and having on its lower side a complementary recessed area proportioned to mesh with the recessed area of said lower track section in two alternative positions with the track elements in either position forming a crossover in conjunction with the track elements of said base section.

3. A toy track crossover comprising, a base track section having male and female connecting means at its opposite ends and track element adjacent said ends centrally interrupted by a recessed area in the upper face of said section running transversely of said track elements, and an upper track section likewise carrying male and female connecting means at its opposite ends and having crossing track elements on its upper side, the lower side of said upper track section being transversely recessed to mesh with the recessed area of said lower track section in two alternative position with the track elements in either position forming a crossover in conjunction with the track elements of said base section.

4. A toy track crossover formed from pieces of material having plane surfaces, comprising a base track section having a tongue and a siot formed on its opposite ends and a pair of parallel track grooves formed in its upper surface and centrally interrupted by a transverse recessed area, and an upper track section likewise shaped with a tongue and a slot at its opposite ends and having two pairs of crossing track grooves formed in its upper surface, the lower surface of said upper track section being recessed to mesh with the recessed area of said lower track section in two alternativ positions with the track grooves in either position forming a crossover in conjunction with the track grooves of said base section.

5. A crossover according to claim 4, the transverse recessed area in the base track section being one-half the depth of the section and equal in width to the width of the upper track section.

MARSHAL H. LARRABEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 892,666 Ives July 7, 1908 1,482,632 Fergusson Feb. 5, 1924 2,031,195 Thompson Feb. 18, 1936 2,171,634 Rexford et al. Sept. 5, 1939 2,254,153 Larrabee Aug. 26, 1941 2,534,458 Larrabee Dec. 19, 1950 

